Assigitob



E. G. WATKINS.

CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3.1913.

1 1 96,050 Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

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EDWARD G. WATKINS, OF GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO HEYWOODBROTHERS AND WAKEFIELD COMPANY, OF GARDNER, MASSACHUSETTS, A COR-PORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CHAIR.

Application filed July 3, 1913.

To all 207mm it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, EDWARD G. WATKINS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Gardner, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Chairs, ofwhich the following, together with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification.

My invention relates to chairs and more particularly to that class ofchairs which includes a tablet or shelf adapted toserve as a support forbooks, papers and other objects being used by one sitting in the chair.

One object of the invention is to provide a chair with a tablet or shelfwhich may occupy a substantially horizontal position over one arm of thechair so as to support objects within convenient reach of one sitting inthe chair, and which may also be swung down out of the way when its useis not desired, the construction and arrangement of the parts whichpermit the tablet to be moved from one of these positions to the otherconstituting the main features of the invention.

This type of chair is used principally in school rooms and lecture hallswhere it is desirable that the construction be substan tial so as not tobe broken or get out of order easily, and where it is also desirablethat the tablet may be moved easily and quickly from oneposition to theother.

mother object of the invention, therefore, is to provide a chair with atablet which may meet these requirements.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawing. in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation of a chair equipped with a tablet or shelfin accordance with my invention, the tablet being shown in position foruse; Fig. is a View similar to Fig. 1, but with the tablet shown afterit has been swung down beside the chair so as to be out of the way; Fig.3 is a detail sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. at is adetail sectional view on the line ll of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detailsectional view on the line 55 of Fig. 1; and Fig. (3 is a detailsectional View on the line e e of Fig. 1.

Like reference characters refer to simila parts in the differentfigures.

In the form of the invention shown in the Specification of LettersPatent.

' Patented An 29, 1916.

Serial No. 777,232.

drawing the chair includes an arm 1 formed with a substantiallyhorizontal plane top surface and a substantially vertical plane outerside surface as shown in Figs. 3, l and 5.

The tablet or shelf 2 is a single integral piece of material, such aswood, comparatively narrow at one end but broadened out considerably atthe other end as is. usual. Referring to the tablet 2 in the position inwhich, it is shown in Fig. 1, its narrow or 1, and a hole in the leaf 5of the hinge fits over this washer so that the leaf may turn thereon ina vertical plane, the washer acting as a spacer between the arm and thehead of the bolt so as to permit the hinge to turn freely. The belt issecured in place by nuts 8. The bolt 6 is at a proper distance below theupper face of the arm 1 to permit the tablet 2 to rest upon the arm asshown in Fig. 3. l/Vhen the use of the tablet is not desired, it isrotated into a. vertical plane about the horizontal axis of the hinge 3,thus closing the leaves 4 and 5 of the hinge together, and then it isdropped in this vertical plane about the horizontal axis of the bolt 6into the position shown in Fig. 2, the leaf 5 of the hinge turning aboutthe bolt 6 and the washer 7 during this latter motion.

The arcuate guide and support 9 is pro- .i'ided for the forward portionof the tablet 2. The guide is attached at its upper forward end to thearm 1 and at itslower rear end to the seat 10 and ityis curvedconcentrically with the axis of the bolt or pivot 6. A small plate 11,secured to the lower face of the tablet 2 toward its forward end,carries a small pin 1:2 in alinement with the axis of the hinge 3 andprojecting slightly rearwardly from the plate so as to catch under theouter edge of the guide 9, this outer edge of the guide being olfsetfrom the inner edge thereof, as shown in Fig. 6, so as to provide aspace 13 within which the pin or projection 12 may travel. The offsetouter edge of the support 9 thus acts as a guide for the forward portionof the tablet as shown in Fig. 5, to form a stop it at the upper end ofthe path of the'pin 12. lVhcn the tablet is raised in a vertical planefrom the position shown in Fig. 2, the pin 12 will strike this stop is,after which the tablet is turned into a horizontal position across theupper face of the arm 1, the engagement of the stop 1-iwith the pin 12preventlng its being turned beyond this position. As

shown in Fig. 5, the pin 12 is separated,

slightly from the tablet 2 to provide space for the stop.

"the tablet may be so formed that gravity alone will be suiiicient tomaintain it normally in its horizontal position, but accidental pressureupon its outer edge, as by laying a book thereon, would tend to tip itso as to allow objects to slide therefrom. In order to overcome thisobjection, there is provided a locking means including the spring 15,secured at its lower end to the inner face of the arm 1, and the screw16 carried by the lower face of the tablet 2. The spring 15 is providedwith an opening 17. When the tablet is turned into its hprizontalposition, the head of the screw 16 passes into a recess 18 in the arm .1and strikes the spring 15, causing its upper end to move away from thearm until the head of the screw has reached the opening 1? when thespring will move back toward the arm so as to engage. the head of thescrew and lock the tablet securely in position. A slidable rod 19, withits inner end in engagement with the spring 15 and enlarged to preventits accidental withdrawal from the arm 1, extends outwardly into adepression 20 in the outer face of the arm. Pressure upon. the outer endof this rod 19 will cause it to move the spring 15 away from the arm soas to become disengaged from the screw and, allow the tablet 2 to betipped from its horizontal position.

At the rear lower end of the guide 9 a stop 21, of leather or othersuitable material, is provided for the pin 12 to strike against when thetablet is dropped. This stop 21 is in the form of a washer lying at thelower rear end of the space or passage 13 and is secured in positionunder the offset outer edge of the guide 9 by a screw 22 passing throughthe outer edge of the guide and the washer into the seat 10 of thechair.

As shown in the drawing, the outer edge of the tablet 2 extends beyondthe axis of the hinge 3 so as to serve as a stop by striking against theside of the chair when the tablet is raised from its normal horizontalposition into a vertical position about the hinge. This prevents injuryto the hinge by turning the tablet too far and it also indicatesautomatically when the tablet has reached the proper position from whichit may be dropped beside the chair.

While I have shown and described the details of one form of myinvention, 1 do not wish to be limited to such details as cer tainchanges may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention;but

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

l. In a chair, a tablet, a double pivotal connection between the tabletand the body of the chair, a guide carried by the side of the chair, andmeans carried by the tablet in alinement with one of the axes of saidconnection and engaging the guide to guide the tablet about the otheraXis of the con nection.

2. In a chair, an arm, a tablet pivoted to the outer-"face of the arm soas to lie normally across the upper face thereof, a catch at the innerface of the arm to lock the tablet in said normal position and means forreleasing the catch extending from the catch to the outer face of thearm.

3. in a chair, an arm, a tablet pivoted to the outer face of the arm soas to lie normally across the upper face thereof, a catch at the innerface of the arm to lock the tablet in said normal position, the armhaving an opening from the catch to the outer face of the arm, and aslidable rod in said opening for releasing the catch.

4;. In a chair, an arm, a tablet, a leaf hinge having one leaf attachedto the tablet and the other leaf pivoted to the arm, a guide attached tothe outer face of the arm, and a projection attached to the tablet andengaging the guide, the tablet projecting beyond the axis of the hingeto strike against the side of the chair when the main portion of thetablet is turned upwardly and out wardly.

Dated this 27th day of June, 1913.

EDl VAR-D G. XVATKINS.

lVitnesses:

CHARLES A. BROWN, FLORENCE L. Moore.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washingto1i,1).0.

